- pouch stand next grease can for size
This is one of mine I kept from a 1980's FTX
It has been stored in a dark corner of a climate controlled area of my basement.
After taste testing the 88/89 MRE I was expecting this meal to be rancid.
I was surprised by many things
First I had forgotten about the dark green cardboard boxes and pouches
Second I had forgotten the amount of food was less than latter MREs
When we unpacked these things , we just grabbed the stuff we liked and threw the rest away. I never laid anything out.
Some troops would mix the Coco, coffee, creamer and sugar with a little bit of water and make a pudding Called 'Ranger pudding or Ranger shake"'
Now I tried every item except the salt and Toilet paper, including the matches
It did have the cardboard pouch stand that I never saw used
made a canteen of Coffee/Coco on Fritz the Old German mess pot
Did not heat the meal and tried all other items cold
Opened the main meal pouch
The diced beef and gravy smelled like a can of Dinty Moore.
Spooned it out on the mess tin and it looked like American canned Dog food
Took a bite of the gravy and it tasted like Dinty Moore, no strange after taste no taste of metal.
Tried a bite of what looked like a potato and it to tasted just like a Dinty Moore Potato
Took the leap and tried a piece of beef, it tasted like like Dinty Moore and the texture of the beef was much like Wild Bills Beef Jerky in a pouch. Very Chewy. I saw almost no globs of fat. So three bites and all of them tasted good, I could have eaten it all but err on the side of Caution.
Next item was the Freeze Dried fruit cocktail block. I remember this item well It was popular but as you can see the portion is very small. Tried one bite dry and it tasted just like it did in 1986. Tried a piece of dried Cherry of whatever the red piece and it too was good. So I added water and re-hydrated it, the juice was very thick. sweet and like syrup.
All totally eatable
The brownie tasted about the same, I never liked this brownie then so It was hard to judge the taste.
But it had no metallic taste or off flavors.
When the crackers were opened I could hear the slight hiss of air being released
The tasted very salty and still snapped when you broke them in to sections.
Look how small they are compared to modern crackers, I think they are off the shelf Nabisco type
The jelly tasted brand new so I spread some on the crackers and tried it and it too tasted fine'
Last the coffee I brewed up tasted weak, so I mixed the coco packet in.
It tasted actually very good
The gum was fresh and not hard
I did this last night and am not sick this morning, so I guess you can say was still fit to eat.
By the way I left the remained in the woods and it was gone except for the fruit.
The chickens finished that off this morning
They did a good job sealing the meals up in 1986.. almost 30 years and not rancid
Menu 8 - Southern Packaging storage Mullins SC
Diced Beef with Gravy TS 5 oz - Land O Frost Lansing M.I.
Fruit FD - maker unmarked
Brownie, Choc Covered- Sterling Bakery San Antonio TX
Jelly maker- unmarked
Crackers- Southern Packaging storage Mullins SC
Cocoa- Steller Inc Chicago Ill
Pouch Stand
Spoon
Accessory Pkt A matches Coffee Instant type I, Creamer, Sugar, Salt
Two green Chicklets, Toliet paper
